Frida mom, a top-selling company specializing in postpartum products, created one of the most truthful depictions of new motherhood in its 30-second ad intended for Sunday evening’s Oscars. Instead, it was banned.
Citing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences guidelines, the ad was rejected due to the prohibition of ads which include, “Political candidates/positions, religious or faith-based message/position, guns, gun shows, ammunition, feminine hygiene products, adult diapers, condoms or hemorrhoid remedies.”
If you think feminine hygiene products are too lewd for national television but don’t think erectile dysfunction pills are, then this ad might not be for you. But if you know someone who might be a parent one day, this ad is an important glimpse into the real-life discomfort a new mother feels. Go ahead, watch and judge for yourself.
As a mom, this ad moved me to tears. As a marketing communicator, the outpour of support for this brand has me cheering from the stands.
Since the ad’s rejection, Frida Mom and its hordes of supporters have made sure the campaign has its time in the spotlight. Headlines from Today, HuffPost, Inc. and more prove the ad has earned its right to be seen. And with celebrities like Busy Philipps and Elizabeth Banks in agreement with their thousands of social media followers, it’s no question why. The human body and its natural elements deserve to be in the current conversation.
Yet, for the millions who will become parents every day, many still feel in the dark. For me personally, I endured a traumatic birth injury that required two surgical procedures, years of physical therapy and postpartum anxiety that left me crippled. No one told me I would be sent home in mesh panties with no sense of understanding the recovery process. Brands like Frida Mom are bringing that much-needed awareness to the national stage.
It’s time we destigmatize the real experiences of new moms and normalize what our bodies go through. There is not one person on the planet whose mother didn’t experience postpartum. Think about that. Each and every one of us had to be birthed from our mother’s body yet the female body is still under scrutiny.
According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, one in seven women will be affected by a perinatal mood disorder. As Frida Mom boldly states, “And we wonder why new moms feel unprepared.”
Great article! As a new dad, I was caught off guard by the recovery process. Here I was thinking the timeline was pregnancy with the birth as the conclusion and the three of us would be happily ever after. Ads like these would indeed give moms insight for what to expect, but fathers too. The best way for us to support is to know what our wives are going through and sometimes they are just to tough to really let us know. Hoping things change and articles like this one need to continue to shine the bright spotlight on Issues that people have been sweeping under the rug for far too long. Thank you!
Wow. I just had a baby in October and went thru exactly what this ad shows. I wish I had known about Frida Mom a few months ago! It was my second post part in experience so I did know what to expect but it seems I could’ve had a better experience with some awareness around better products!
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